London: Substitute Divock Origi’s 86th minute header earned Liverpool a 3-2 win Saturday at Newcastle United to send them two points above Manchester City and keep their Premier League title bid alive.
The race to secure the final two Champions League qualification places looks likely to go to the final weekend after Tottenham Hotspur again slipped up, losing to a last-minute goal at Bournemouth while having two men sent off.
Liverpool have 94 points and Manchester City 92 but Pep Guardiola’s City have two games remaining, including Monday’s home match with Leicester City. On the other hand, Liverpool have just their final day home game with Wolves remaining but the result means the race will go down to the wire.
Virgil Van Dijk headed Liverpool in front in the 13th minute, but seven minutes later Newcastle drew level through Christian Atsu. Liverpool restored their lead in the 28th minute when Daniel Sturridge, starting in place of the injured Roberto Firmino, back-heeled the ball from the corner to Trent Alexander-Arnold and the full-back’s cross was expertly turned in by Mohamed Salah.
Managed by former Liverpool boss Rafe Benitez, 14th placed Newcastle drew level nine minutes after the break when the visitors failed to clear a corner and Salomon Rondon’s brilliant fierce left foot drive beat the helpless Alisson Becker.
Then, with their talismanic forward Salah carried off on a stretcher with a head injury and facing a massive blow to their title hopes, Origi rose at the near post to head in a Xherdan Shaqiri free-kick and give Juergen Klopp’s side the victory.
A win for Spurs at the Vitality Stadium would have secured a top four slot ahead of next week’s Champions League semifinal second leg against Ajax Amsterdam.
But, after losing at home to West Ham United last week and then going down to the Dutch side in midweek, Mauricio Pochettino’s side failed to fire again and went down 0-1 after Nathan Ake struck in injury time.
Son Heung-min was first to be sent off for pushing Jefferson Lerma just before halftime with Juan Foyth shown a straight red card for a studs-up tackle on Jack Simpson two minutes after coming on at the interval.
Spurs stay third on 70 points, four points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal, who have two games remaining. But Pochettino’s side know victory in their final game against Everton will see them qualify, with Chelsea and Manchester United also capable of securing a top-four slot.
